MARIETTA - There will be dancing on the Square today, though it won't exactly be square dancing.

At least 70 costumed couples are expected to dance the Virginia Reel at noon in an attempt to set a world record for the largest such dance. It's just one of the festivities planned to mark the 70th anniversary of the premiere of the "Gone With the Wind" movie.

Theresa Jenkins, executive director of the Marietta Welcome Center and Visitors Bureau, said that the event could add more than a half-million dollars in the city's economy, based on hotel bookings and ticket sales.

"We know of at least 500 people who will be attending the events, and 90 percent of those are from out of town and are staying two or three nights," Jenkins said.

Warner Brothers and Turner Classic Movies are preparing to release the movie on Blu-Ray disc.

Among the scheduled events are:

* 9:45 to 11 a.m. today, Q&A with authors who have studied and written about the book and the movie, followed by Q&A with surviving actors from the film. $25

* Joseph Yakovetic, a Warner Bros. and Walt Disney artist who has created artwork in conjunction with the anniversary, will be at dk Gallery on the Square throughout the weekend.

* 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. tonight, Belles and Beaus costume ball at the Marietta Conference Center. $125

* 4:30 p.m. Saturday, vintage car parade from the Conference Center to the Earl Smith Strand Theatre

* 7:45 p.m. Saturday, screening of the film at the Strand. $35.

For more information, visit the Gone With the Wind Museum's Web site at www.marietta.gov/gwtw or call (770) 794-5576.

"We're getting busy and excited, and it's just going to be a wonderful weekend," said Christy Hopper, a coordinator at the Gone With the Wind museum.